The [easyazon_link identifier=”B00ZVJAF9G” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Amazon FireTV Stick[/easyazon_link] is an amazing little device, so let’s see how to get the most out of it. I compiled this list of the Top 10 (or more) Fire TV Hacks. You might be surprised at the capabilities of this little $40 Android-based streaming stick, so check out the list!

Top 10 Fire TV Hacks & Alternative Uses

1) Stream TV & movies all day long with Kodi

This [easyazon_link identifier=”B00XNQECFM” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Fire TV[/easyazon_link] hack is a given, but some people still don’t know about it, so here it is. And many of the people who already know about Kodi, but don’t know about the cool extras like Ares Wizard, Config Wizard, and even the streaming music capabilities Kodi has to offer.

Some of those “cooler” Fire TV Hacks we can do with Kodi are:

– Have Kodi all setup for you using the Ares Wizard (the “Ultimate” setup method) to auto-install the best TV Addons. Perform this method by installing Kodi “Builds” using the Ares Wizard (See our VIDEO Tutorial) – Get your Kodi installation set up with the best TV Addons using the Config Wizard (this is the “I want all the TV Addons without tons of extra clutter” setup method) all at once using the TV Addons Config Wizard – Install the top TV Addons individually using the AddOnInstaller. This is the “barebones” or minimalistic TV Addons setup method. The Addon Installer can also be used to re-install single addons that are misbehaving. – Play streaming music such as iTunes podcasts, [easyazon_link identifier=”B004HXIZVC” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]SoundCloud[/easyazon_link], and others.

2) Use Emulators to Play Classic Retro Games

Fire TV Hacks: Play emulators

Use a [easyazon_link identifier=”B014QP2H1E” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Bluetooth gamepad[/easyazon_link] with your FireTV and play great classic emulators like N64 and SNES – Mario Kart your face off! This is by far the funnest Fire TV hack on the list – so be sure to give this one a try (especially if you were born in the 80s, like me).

I’ve successfully tested some great SNES games on the Firestick, and even some N64 games, too. We can play Mario Kart 64 on the FireStick & FireTV, as well as every SNES game I’ve tried. I’m pretty sure all SNES games work on Firestick emulator SNES9x. So get a great Bluetooth gamepad, install some emulators, and start playing classic retro games on your Android / [easyazon_link identifier=”B01DFTCV90″ locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]FireTV[/easyazon_link]!

3) Use Regular Android Apps on Fire TV

Yes, you can install Android apps onto your Fire TV that weren’t meant for FireTV at all. Just sideload them! Some apps require that you use a software or hardware mouse or keyboard, but that’s just a matter of downloading a Mouse app.

Sideloading is a simple process where we use a 2nd device to transfer, or “sideload”, an application’s installer file from the 2nd device to the 1st device (which is usually your [easyazon_link identifier=”B01DFTCV90″ locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Fire TV[/easyazon_link] / Firestick!). We have video tutorials and written guides on how to sideload apps to your Fire TV (for both Android and iOS). Sideloading is one of the biggest, most impactful Fire TV hacks you can perform.

4) Browse the Web with Firefox on Fire TV

Sideload Firefox web browser to your FireTV to surf the web (do people still say that?). After you install Firefox, you’ll probably need to use a [easyazon_link identifier=”B0096M8VR2″ locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Bluetooth keyboard[/easyazon_link] and/or [easyazon_link identifier=”B00S0CTU2Y” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Bluetooth mouse[/easyazon_link] to get around the browser.

5) Stream your Massive Movie Library to your FireTV using PLEX

Fire TV Hacks: Use PLEX to stream local media

Some people, like me, have been collecting Movies on an external hard drive for years. If this sounds like you, you can get those movies to be available for streaming on your Firestick / Fire TV simply by using an app called [easyazon_link identifier=”B004Y1WCDE” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Plex[/easyazon_link]. Plex will stream all those awesome HD movies you’ve been collecting for years.

Play any 24/7 stream in Kodi on your FireTV for a non-stop, constant video experience. Sideload a digital photo frame Android app to make an instant digital photo frame, or use a screensaver app (like a classic [easyazon_link identifier=”B016TZIXNK” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Fish tank aquarium screen saver[/easyazon_link]). You can also download an [easyazon_link identifier=”B005KUHUKS” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]IPCam viewer[/easyazon_link] app that allows you to view public webcams from famous places in the world (Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, etc).

Some [easyazon_link identifier=”B01FJGRU1G” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]mini projectors[/easyazon_link] have batteries built-in. And you could use a power bank to power the Firestick. So why not bring the [easyazon_link identifier=”B01FJGRU1G” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]mini projector[/easyazon_link] and [easyazon_link identifier=”B00XNQECFM” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]FireTV[/easyazon_link] out on the lawn one evening for a night-time movie showing with friends or family? It’s a great, simple, easy, small, portable setup. I’ve done it!

8) Monitor Home Surveillance using Fire TV

Fire TV Hacks: Monitor Home Surveillance

If you have an [easyazon_link identifier=”B006ZP8UOW” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]IPCam[/easyazon_link] that broadcasts to your WiFi network, you can sideload an [easyazon_link identifier=”B00LD0KVZU” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]IPCam viewer app[/easyazon_link] to your Fire TV and use it to view your IPCam’s live stream (even remotely if your IPCam supports it!)

9) Use your Fire TV as an awesome thumb drive / media center

Your Firestick has at least a few gigs of usable internal memory. So why not (in a pinch) use it as a [easyazon_link identifier=”B01BGTG2A0″ locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]thumbdrive[/easyazon_link]? Or store a few HD movies on it and take it to a friend’s house, plug it into their [easyazon_link identifier=”B01CF3L3RS” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]TV[/easyazon_link] and start watching instantly without having to mess with any hard drives or rely on their P.O.S. streaming device ;)

10) Play Android games on your Fire TV

There are plenty of great Android games out there. Many of them work amazingly well on the Fire TV & Firestick. To get the most out of these games, get an [easyazon_link identifier=”B002I0GX38″ locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]OUYA Bluetooth controller[/easyazon_link].

+ 1 Non-Hack “Honorable Mention”

#1) Use the Fire TV’s Built-In Apps for “Standard” Content

Of course, you could just use the FireTV’s built-in apps like [easyazon_link identifier=”B00LV4D70O” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]YouTube[/easyazon_link], [easyazon_link identifier=”B00OGRMULA” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Netflix[/easyazon_link], and [easyazon_link identifier=”B00N28818A” locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Amazon Prime Video[/easyazon_link]. But let’s be honest – the way Amazon executed the Fire TV’s home screen layout and content selection could use some work. Otherwise, people wouldn’t have spent hundreds of hours developing better solutions (like Kodi).

By the way, Google trackers are lurking on 75% of websites. Cover your tracks to protect yourself.

So, you can use YouTube without modifying your Firestick. And you can use Amazon Prime Video if you have an [easyazon_link identifier=”B00IT0NO10″ locale=”US” tag=”arizonacaorg-20″]Amazon Prime[/easyazon_link] account. Netflix is always an option too! To see the latest movies on Netflix, Kodi, and Amazon Prime go to http://ClawTV.com.

Hope this helps! Any suggestions? Let us and everyone else know in the comments so we can all enjoy it ;) Cheers, mates!